Electric hair clipper



Dec. 26, 1939. J. 5. RYAN 2,184,781

I ELECTRIC HAIR CLIPPER :FiledvDec. 24, 1936 Patented Dec. 26, 1939UNITED STATES 8 Claims.

This invention relates to electric hair clippers and particularly thosewherein the handle of the clipper contains the electric motor thatdrives the cutting blade.

In the more common type of clipper the cutting blade is disposedcrosswise of the handle at one end thereof and reciprocates transverselyof the axis of the handle. The manipulation of such a clipper requires aconjoint sweeping move- .ment of the forearm and a pivotal motion of thewrist that renders control of the clipper rather stiff so that, forinstance, on unexpected movements of the head, the clipper cannot alwaysbe moved away from the head quickly enough to prevent contact betweenthe head and the ends of the teeth.

A type of clipper has also been proposed wherein the cutting edge of theblade is disposed approximately parallel with and approximately in orclose to the axis of the handle and reciprocates in a line parallel withthe axis so that the device can be used in the fashion of a comb, and beswept through the hair with a forearm movement.

With both types of clippers a forearm movement is necessary formanipulating them. Such forearm movement is tiring and rather awkwardand does not give the nicety of control that can be desired.

In the hair clipper of the present invention, the cutting blade isgenerally parallel with the handle, but, instead of being close to thehandle, is so far offset laterally that it permits an entirely differentmanner of manipulation. Instead of using the clipper with a forearmmovement and combing action, the disposition of the cutting blade issuch that it can be passed over the head, and particularly the back ofthe head, by a rotary motion of the wrist, thereby rotating the clipperabout the axis of its handle and so sweeping the cutting blade over thehead in a long arcuate path. The amount of offset of .the blade issubstantial, a distance of one and three-quarters inch beingsatisfactory for the design illustrated. The distance is not criticalbut should be suffioient so that the blade stands out beyond the fingersof the hand grasping the handle and permits the aforesaid rotary motionof the wrist and also permits the blade to enter close spaces, as closebehind an ear, for instance. Such a clipper constitutes an object of thepresent invention.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved form ofdriving mechanism 3 is an end view of the device of Fig. 1.

4 is a section taken along line l i'of 5 is a section taken along line5--5 of Fig. '7 is a section taken along line 1'l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a cutting blade.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of using thedevice.

Fig. 10 is a section taken along line H3IU of 5 Fig. 4.

The motor driven hair clipper embodying the present invention comprisesa supporting handle frame l2 having removable handle plates or covers l4that enclose an electric driving motor I5 17 receiving current throughthe cable IE and started and stopped by the switch it located at therear end of the handle. The handle frame [2 extends forwardly of theplates Hi and is provided with a hollow or chambered goose neck 20having a downwardly or laterally projecting rectangular hollow extension22 to which the cutting elements of the device are detachably secured.The goose neck is also provided with a notch or re-entrantpart 241 inwiden the forefinger of the hand conveniently rests, as is indicated inFig. 9, to guide the movements of the cutting elements.

The cutting elements comprise a comb 26 and a cutting blade 28, bothsubstantially flat and rectangular and resting one upon the other.Thesimilar long edges of the blade and comb are provided withcooperating cutting teeth 30. The blade and comb are retained insuperimposed relation in a holder 32 with their long toothed edgesdisposed parallel to the axis of the handle. Said holder 32 comprises aresilient steel strip reflexed into substantially channel shape andprovided with a bottom plate 3 and a top plate 36. The comb and cuttingblades are located 355 between the aforesaid plates 34 and 36. The combblade 26 is secured to the bottom plate 34 of the holder by suitablemeans as screws 38, see Fig. 4. The cutting blade 28 is provided in itstop face with a longitudinally extended channel 40 which extends fromend to end thereof behind the teeth 36. The top plate 36 of the holderhas a downwardly extended rib 42 which is re ceived loosely in said slot40 for the purpose of permitting the cutting blade to vibrate in adirection parallel to the slot while retaining it in the holder againstmovement in a transverse direction. The top plate 36 of the holder isarranged to exert a substantial spring pressure on the cutting blade soas to force the cutting and comb blades into firm contact. The cuttingblade 28 is provided with an upstanding ledge 44 behind the slot 46against which the top plate 36 of the holder bears, the top surface ofthe cutting blade being otherwise relieved so that it is otherwise freefrom engagement with the top plate of the holder, thereby eliminatingunnecessary friction.

The engaging pressure between the cutting and comb blades can beadjusted by the tension adjusting screw 46, the head of which bears uponthe top plate 36 of the holder and the body of which passes through alongitudinally elongated slot 48 of the cutting blade and isscrew-threaded into the comb blade and the bottom plate 34 of theholder. By screwing down the screw 46 increased tension is put upon theresilient top plate 36 and the integral connection 35 between saidplates, thereby to cause the top plate to exert increased tension uponthe cutting and comb blades. The top plate 36 of the holder is providedat its inner end with an upwardly extended clamping ear 5!]. The bottomplate 34 is extended beyond said car 50 and at the end thereof isprovided with an upturned clamping ear 52 which is parallel to andspaced from the ear 5|]. Said ear 52 is also provided with a cover car54 which is reflexed forwardly and is terminated close to the edge ofthe ear 50. The ears 50, 52, 54 thus define a rectangular space whichhas dimensions approximately conformed to the rectangular end 22 of thegoose neck 20 and is adapted to receive and engage said end snugly andwith spring pressure due to the inherent resiliency of the ears.

The ears 5!] and 52 are provided with opposed notches 56 and 58 whichare open at the rear ends of the ears, the outer edge of the notch 58being tapered or counter-sunk, as illustrated at 59, Fig. 7. Therectangular end 22 of the goose neck has a locking pin 60 extendedtherethrough and adapted to enter the notches 56 and 58 to hold theholder releasably connected with the goose neck. The pin 60 at one endhas an outwardly tapered head 62 which is seated in the counter-sunkportion 59 of the notch 58, thereby to hold the holder aligned with thegoose neck. The pin 66 has an enlarged button 64 at the other end whichis engaged by a compression spring 66 that bears through a washer 68against the ear 5!) whereby to hold the head 62 of the pin releasably inthe counter-sunk portion of the slot 58. By moving the pin axiallyagainst the spring the head can be withdrawn from the notch 58 and theholder removed from the goose neck.

The cutting blade 28 is reciprocated longitudinally by mechanismcontained in the chamber 10 of the goose neck and under the removablecover 12 that is secured removably to the goose neck by an attachingscrew 73. The electric motor that is contained. in the handle l2 has ashaft i4 that is extended forwardly into the chamber 10 and has a worml6 fixed thereto. Said worm meshes with a worm gear 18 which isjournalled on a stud shaft one end of which is fixed rigidly to the backwall of the chamber 70 and the other end of which has a tapped hole 82therein into which the end of a screw 84, Figs. 2 and 3, is receivedwhereby to additionally support the shaft by the cover 12 and at thesame time to secure the cover onto the goose neck.

The worm gear 18 is provided with a hub 85 that is eccentric withrespect to the axis of the stud shaft 80. One end of an eccentric strap86 is received on the eccentric hub and the other end thereof has a pin88 which is journalled in the upper end of a lever 90. Said lever ispivoted intermediate its ends on a stud shaft 92 fixed to the rear wallH of the chamber 10 and having a tapped hole 94 in its other end inwhich a screw 96, Fig. 2, passing through the cover is screw threaded.Thus the rotation of the eccentrio 84 causes the reciprocation of thelever 95.

The lower end of the lever is provided with a reduced projection 91 thatis located loosely in a slot 98 in one end of the cutting blade 28. Thenotch 98 is open at the rear end of the blade and is flared outwardlythereat to provide an enlarged entrance to permit the holder containingthe blade to be withdrawn and reapplied to the goose neck inlongitudinally displaced positions of the blade.

The goose neck 20 projects laterally beyond the axis of the handle so asto support the cutting and comb blades a considerable distance from thehandle. A distance of approximately one and three-quarter inches hasbeen found in practice to be satisfactory. The distance is intended tobe sufiicient so that the blade is located substantially beyond thefingers that grasp the handle, as is illustrated in Fig. 9, and toprovide a long radius of revolution for the cutting blade so that thecutting blade can be moved throughout a long cutting path over curvedsurfaces and particularly concave surfaces such as the back of the head,by a simple and easy rotation of the wrist which rotates the handle ofthe cutter about its axis. The cutting blade projects laterally fromvthe handle suificiently also to go behind the ears without bending theears or resorting to any unnatural positions of the body or the hand.The cutting blade also can be rotated quickly away from the head uponunexpected movements thereof, so as to prevent cutting the head.

I claim:

1. An electric hair clipper comprising a handle containing an electricdriving motor, said v handle having a forwardly projecting goose neckfingers of the hand that grasps the handle and to sweep the cuttingedges of said blades in a line that is mainly parallel with the saidblades when said handle is rotated about its axis.

2. An electric hair clipper comprising a handle containing an electricdriving motor, said handle having a forwardly projecting goose neckwhich extends laterally of and considerably beyond the side of thehandle, cooperating cutter and comb blades located at the end of saidgoose neck generally parallel with the axis of the handle, and drivingmechanism connecting said cutter blade and said electric motor, saidgoose neck having a re-entrant finger-receiving notch in front of theforward end of said handle and behind the laterally projecting part ofsaid goose neck.

3. An electric hair clipper comprising a handle having a reduced hollowforward part provided integral with a long hollow edgewise directedlateral projection, a high-speed electric motor in said handle, cutterblades mounted on the end of said projection transversely of. the planethereof and parallel with the handle axis and considerably outside theline of the handle, a straight lever pivoted in and extended lengthwiseof said hollow projection having at its outer end an operativeconnection with a cutter blade for reciprocating it, an eccentric insaid hollow forward part of said handle, an eccentric strap generallyparallel with the axis of said handle connecting said eccentric with theinner part of said lever for reciprocating it, and reduction gearing insaid hollow forward part for driving said eccentric.

4. In a hair clipper having a handle, and a cutter holding member, thecombination therewith of a cutter holder comprising spaced top andbottom plates having a resilient connecting and spacing plate integraltherewith at the similar sides thereof and said top plate having adownturned rib at its opposite side, superimposed cutter and comb bladesbetween said plates, said comb blade having means securing it to saidbottom plate and said cutter blade having a groove therein in which saidrib is loosely received for guiding said cutter blade for reciprocatorymovement parallel with said rib, adjustable means for changing thepressure of engagement of said blades, and releasable means forconnecting said holder with said cutter holding member.

5. In a hair clipper having a handle, and a cutter holding member, thecombination therewith of a cutter holder comprising spaced top andbottom plates having a resilient connecting and spacing plate integraltherewith at the similar sides thereof and said top plate having adown-turned rib at its opposite side, superimposed cutter and combblades between said plates, said comb blade having means securing it tosaid bottom plate and said cutter blade having a groove therein in whichsaid rib is loosely received for guiding said cutter blade forreciprocatory movement parallel with said rib, a tension adjusting screwbearing on said top plate and having a screw-threaded connection withsaid bottom plate for adjusting the engaging pressure of said blades,and means for attaching said holder detachably to said cutter holdingmember.

6. In a hair clipper having a handle, and a cutter holding member, thecombination therewith of a cutter holder comprising spaced top andbottom plates having a resilient connecting and spacing plate integraltherewith at the similar sides thereof and said top plate having adown-turned rib at its opposite side, superimposed cutter and combblades between said plates, said comb blade having means securing it tosaid bottom plate and said cutter blade having a groove therein in whichsaid rib is loosely received for guiding said cutter blade forreciprocatory movement parallel with said rib, said holder having anupstanding ear that is disposed against a side of said cutter holdingmember, and means connecting said ear detachably with said cutterholding member.

7. In a hair clipper having a handle, and a cutter holding member, thecombination therewith of a cutter holder comprising spaced top andbottom plates having a resilient connecting and spacing plate integraltherewith at'the similar sides thereof and said top plate having adownturned rib at its opposite side, superimposed cutter and comb bladesbetween said plates, said comb blade having means securing it to saidbottom plate and said cutter blade having a groove therein in which saidrib is loosely received for guiding said cutter blade for reciprocatorymovement parallel with said rib, said top and bottom disposed onopposite sides of said cutter holding member, said ears having alignednotches, and a locking pin carried by said cutter holding member adaptedremovably to enter said notches and having clamping means bearing onsaid ears.

8. In a hair clipper, the combination of a handle having at one end anarrow hollow projection provided with a lateral-edgewise projectinghollow cutter support, a high speed electric motor in said handle, acutter holder on the end of said support and having a releasableconnection therewith, cooperating cutter and comb blades in said holdertransverse of the plane of said cutter support having cutting edgesparallel with said handle, and means for reciprocating said cutter bladein, the direction of the axis of said handle including a lever in saidsupport, means pivotally supporting said lever intermediate its ends forreciprocation in the plane of said handle, said cutter blade having anotch therein and the lower end of said lever being loosely located insaid notch, an eccentric journaled on an axis crosswise of said handlein said projection betweensaid handle and lever, an eccentric strapextended forwardly from said eccentric operatively connecting saideccentric and lever for reciprocating the latter, and motordrivenreduction gearing in said extension for operating said eccentric. 7

JAMES S. RYAN.

